Heating engineers in Cardiff

Cold radiators and noisy pipes

Cold at the top usually means air, which you can bleed yourself with our guide to bleeding a radiator. Cold at the bottom or in the middle points to sludge, which needs a chemical or power flush.

Cardiff's moderately hard water adds scale to the mix in older open-vented systems that top up with fresh water. Ask the engineer to add inhibitor after any flush and test its strength at the next service.

Homes on electric heating

About one in ten Cardiff households heats with electricity alone, many of them flats in the Bay and the city centre. Old storage heaters can be swapped for modern ones with better controls, or for a wet system if gas is available. A heating engineer who also holds electrical qualifications is the right person for that job.

Adding or moving radiators

Extensions and loft conversions are common in Cardiff's terraces and semis, and the new rooms are often added to the old circuit without checking whether the boiler and pump can cope. Ask the engineer to work out the heat needed for the new room and to rebalance the whole system afterwards.

If a radiator has to move for a kitchen refit, plan the pipe route before the floor goes down. Lifting a new floor later costs more than the radiator.

Changes that cut bills

Thermostatic radiator valves on every radiator except the one with the room thermostat, a balanced system and a lower flow temperature on a condensing boiler all reduce gas use without new kit.

Larger radiators let the boiler run cooler, which also prepares a house for a heat pump later. Homes built before 1930 rate C or above only 17.1% of the time in Cardiff, so these older houses gain most.